MAKING SENSE OF AUTISM®

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Text: We Fragment the child and then we wonder why we're not making progress." Susan Golubock Autistic Retired OCcupational Therapist. This week Susan and Staci talk about why we must look at autistic individuals holistically instead of fragmenting them into speech, sensory, and behavior pieces.

What Standardized Assessments Don’t Tell Us About Autistic Students/Clients

Standardized assessments help determine services — but they were never designed around autistic neurology. In this week’s video, we explore what those scores don’t tell us and why looking at the whole child changes everything.

Assessments

Staci Neustadt

1 day ago1 min read

Text "what if this isn't defiance, but fear?" A rainbow brain with arms around it. Two white women, one in her 40s and another in he r70s.

Behavior as a Safety Signal

This blog helps you discover if the behavior is due not feeling safe

Behavior

Staci Neustadt

Jan 292 min read

rainbow brain with arms around. "You're doing everything right, so why isn't it working?" Two women, one in her 40s and one in her 70s with white hair

You’re Not Failing. The Strategies Just Aren’t Working.

If the strategies you’re using with an autistic child aren’t working, you’re not failing. You may be missing key information about how the autistic brain processes pressure, motivation, and learning. This conversation explains what’s missing—and what to do instead.

Support Strategies

Staci Neustadt

Jan 221 min read

They're not READY - NOT refusing, two white women, one in her 40s and one in her late 70s

They’re Not Refusing — They’re Not Ready

Understanding why your child says "no"

Staci Neustadt

Jan 152 min read

Building on Autistic Strengths: Why Hope Starts With What They Want to Achieve

Many parents and professionals look at an autistic child and think: They’re so smart. They’re capable. They should be able to do more by now. And when progress doesn’t happen, the blame quietly turns inward. This conversation isn’t about doing more. It’s about looking differently . This week at Making Sense of Autism , we talk about hope —not as positivity or optimism, but as a grounded, realistic belief that there is a better way to understand autistic behavior, motivation,

Supporting Strengths

Staci Neustadt

Jan 102 min read

The One Sentence That Changes Everything About Understanding Autism

Have you ever misread an autistic individual’s behavior? Most of us have. Not because we’re uncaring — but because we’ve been taught to look at behavior first instead of the differences underneath it. And then Susan said a sentence that changed everything for me: “Look for the differences — not how we’re alike.” It’s simple, but it completely shifts how we understand autistic communication, behavior, and connection. We Celebrate Acceptance on Screen… But Struggle With It in

Staci Neustadt

Nov 28, 20252 min read

Invitation, Not Expectation: How Understanding Autistic Communication Changes Everything

Have you ever tried to teach a skill—getting dressed, cleaning up, leaving the house, or even answering a simple question—and your autistic child or student shuts down, resists, or becomes overwhelmed? Most people assume it’s behavior. But what if it’s really expectation? In this week’s vlog, autistic retired Occupational Therapist Susan Golubock and Speech-Language Pathologist Staci Neustadt talk about something most people never realize: even small, invisible expectations

Staci Neustadt

Nov 20, 20252 min read

When a “Good” Child Suddenly Isn’t: What Autistic Autonomy Really Looks Like

What if I told you that a “good,” compliant, easy” autistic child is not a sign of things going well…but a red flag ? I know—that sentence alone stops people in their tracks. But stay with me. I have heard several times in my two decades as an SLP: “They’ve always been such a good kid. So easy. So compliant. But now everything is suddenly a battle.” They describe a child who once went along with everything…who now refuses, melts down, pushes back, or flat-out says “no.” And

Staci Neustadt

Nov 13, 20252 min read

It’s Okay to Be Different: Why the Words We Use Matter More Than We Realize

Have you ever thought about how your words can change the way someone sees themselves? When Susan Golubock , an autistic retired occupational therapist, said, “If someone had just told me it’s okay to be different, everything could have changed,” it stopped me in my tracks. Because how many times have we—parents, teachers, or therapists—used words that were never meant to hurt, but did? Words like “obsessed,” “fixated,” or “perseverates.” We were taught to use them to d

Staci Neustadt

Nov 6, 20251 min read

It’s Not Behavior — It’s the Body: Why Muscle and Joint Input Is the Key to Regulation

Have you ever watched a child push too hard, crash into things, or seem “too rough,” and thought, “They just need to calm down”? What if I told you they’re trying to calm down — their body just doesn’t know how? When an autistic child pushes, pulls, jumps, or squeezes, it’s not random. It’s communication. The body is sending a message:👉 “I need input. I need to feel where my body is so I can feel calm.” In this week’s conversation, Susan Golubock, autistic occupational ther

Staci Neustadt

Oct 30, 20252 min read

Initiation Isn’t Motivation: Seeing the Effort Behind Every Start

Have you ever looked at a child or client who won’t start — a task, a conversation, or even a simple request — and wondered, “Why won’t they just do it?” Do you even feel this yourself sometimes? We’ve all been there. As therapists, teachers, and parents, it’s easy to interpret hesitation as defiance, avoidance, or lack of motivation. But what if that pause, that moment of stillness, is actually the brain working hard to connect the dots? In this week’s video, Susan Golubo

Staci Neustadt

Oct 23, 20252 min read

Why Self-Awareness Is the Foundation for Growth

What if being praised for following directions and “fitting in” came at the cost of losing who you truly are? For many autistic...

Staci Neustadt

Oct 9, 20252 min read

How Neuro-Strengths-Based Autism Assessments Unlock Real Growth

Have you ever walked out of an autism assessment with pages of scores and a sinking feeling of now what? Traditional, deficit-based...

Staci Neustadt

Sep 25, 20251 min read

Rethinking Autism Assessments: Seeing Strengths, Not Just Deficits

Have you ever walked into a therapy session feeling anxious, unsure how to connect with your autistic client or student? Maybe you’ve...

Staci Neustadt

Sep 18, 20252 min read

How to Teach Autistic Students the Way They Learn (Not Just the Curriculum)

Last week, we introduced the “Teach Me the Way I Learn So I Can” form. Parents, teachers, and therapists loved the idea—but many of you...

Staci Neustadt

Sep 11, 20252 min read

Teach Me the Way I Learn Best: Autism Strengths, Triggers, and Classroom Support

Starting school—or starting something new—can feel overwhelming for autistic children, their parents, and their teachers. One of the...

Staci Neustadt

Sep 4, 20251 min read

See the Purpose, Not the Problem: Understanding Autistic Behavior

How often do we hear an autistic child’s behavior labeled as “bad”? 👉 Kicking a wall. 👉 Shouting in class. 👉 Repeating the same...

Staci Neustadt

Aug 28, 20251 min read

Rules, Honesty, and Flexibility: Understanding Choices Through the Autistic Lens

Have you ever been called rigid or too honest ? Many autistic people hear those words, and it can feel like criticism of who we are. The...

For Autistics

Staci Neustadt

Aug 21, 20251 min read

Are We Accidentally Creating Inflexible Learners?

When we think about supporting autistic children, most of us lean on structure, routine, and repetition. These tools feel safe,...

Staci Neustadt

Aug 21, 20252 min read

Joint Attention in Autism: Why It Looks Different & How to Support It (Free Strategies Guide)

When most people hear the term “joint attention in autism,” they picture a child looking at an adult, following a point, or sharing a...

Staci Neustadt

Aug 14, 20252 min read